Vehicle roof construction



NOV. 27, 195] J, OSWALD VEHICLE ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 2, 1949 JOHN OSWALD g fizw TOR. ,L, m'gl ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1951 i 2,576,354" VEHICLE ROOF ooNs'riwo'r o John, Oswald; Dams, Mich.',. assignor to, an 1 Motor Company,Dearborn, Mich., a corppration of Delaware i lisstion repruai-y 2, 1949.sem -nal-7 1,114-

This invention relates generally. to a vehicle roof construction, and has particular reference to that portion of a vehicle. roof construction which includes the roof rail, roof panel, andjdrip molding. r 1 j 7 It is customary both in passenger and commere cial vehicles to-provide a drip molding extendin along the lower marginal edge of the roof panel on each side of the vehicle. Conventionally this drip molding extends over the doors and side windows and serves as a gutter to convey water running from the roof to points located forwardly and rearwardly of the doors and windows so as to protect the latter from water drainage which Would form an impediment to clear vision through the windows and might also enter the carwhen the doors or windows are opened. In a construction used at present, the lower edge of the roof panel is bent inwardly to form a horizontal flange which is then spotwelded to the horizontal flange of the drip molding and also to an adjacent flange of the roof rail. There are several disadvantages to this arrangement. .The horizontal flange of-zthe roof panel is difficult .to form, requiring ..a. cam die. The welding operation is difficult to perform since the welding gunmustbeoperated frominside, the vehicleand the clearances adjacentthe flanges to be welded are small. In addition, the construction sometimes exposes a series of spot welds to the normal vision of a person entering the car, andisunsightly.

The foregoing and other disadvantages. are overcome by the present construction; in which the lower edge of the roof panel isbent outwardly to provide an integral horizontal flange which may be easily formedby a simple stamping operation. This flange is then spot welded to a double thick' ness flange of a pre-assembled roof rail, and since the joint to be welded extends outwardly and has ample clearance both above and below, the spot The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made more apparent as this descriptionrproceeds, particularly when considered in connection with the;accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1..is a sideelevational view'of-a vehicle embodying the present invention,- a 5 Figure 2 is an enlargedtransverse .cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated bythe-line 2--2 ofFigurel.

. Referringv nowmore particularly :to the draw. ings, there is shown in Figure l apassenger car having a tudor type body. The reference charac: terl0 indicates the roof panel, which is inthe form of a one-:piecesheet metal stamping/The roof panel extends over thefront door. and the side panel I2, each ofwhich has a vertically slide able: window mounteditherein. Water draining from :the roof panel: Wri caughtina gutter construction to be described more in'detail later, and including'a. decorative,..trim--molding l3. It will be noted from Figure: 1' that the molding 13 extends generally horizontally over the front door I l and the side panel 42', and forwardly and rearwardly thereof is inclined downwardly toward the belt line of the body. I The forward portion ofthe trim molding I 3 follows the front pillar 14,- while the rearward portion of the molding'extends along the -rear quarter l6. I

1 Figure 2 illustrates a typical section through the roof panel and the gutterconstruction. Thelow-j er'marginal edge of-the roof pan'el I0 is formedwith i an integral horizontaloutwardly extending flange l1. Inasmuch as the short horizontal flange ll extends outwardly, it will be s'eenthat it" may be formed by arelatively simplestamping welding operation is extremely. simple and much I operation, as compared to the'm'o're difficult cam die operation necessary to form'the usual flange which extends inwardly from the lower edge of the roofpanel. f v

The roof panel is supported u n a longitudinallyextending roof rail indicatedgenera'lly by thereference"character-l8. The roof rail is "gen erally of box shape in cross section and is formed of upper and lower sheet metal sections l9 and z'l'respectively. The inner'flange 22 and 23 respectively'of the'upper and lower sections" Hand lends itself'to various stylingmotifs, since'it'm-ay 'i be formed of different cross sectional shapes to provide a diiferent appearance and also may be painted or plated as desired. In addition, the molding conceals from normal vision the line of spotwelds used to secure the flanges together.

2| of thefroof rail are arranged in juxtaposition and are spotwelded together. The outer flanges 24 and ZS-respectively of the upper and lower sejc' tions l 9 and 2 lofthe roof rail areal'so arranged in juxtaposition and extend horizontally. These flanges are likewise spot welded together. It will be noted from the drawing that the horizontal flange 24 of the upper section IQ of the roof rail is bent vertically upwardly adjacent its outer edge rail forms with its horizontal flange 24 and vertical flange 21 a generally channel shaped gutter within which is positioned the horizontal flange ll of the roof panel l0. During the pre -assembly of the upper and lower sections of the roof rail to each other the horizontal flanges 24 and 26 are tacked together by a series of relatively widely spaced spot welds. During the assembly of the roof panel to the roof rail the roof panel flange I! is spot welded to the flanges 24 and 26 of the root fail by a series or closely spaced spot welds, which serve not only to secure the roof panel to the roof rail .but also to strengthen the joint between the upper and lower sections of the roof rail. It willbe noted from the foregoing that 'a relatively simple roof-construction is provided which is easily fabricated and assembled. Not only is the root panel iil'a relatively simple stamping, but the spot welding operation securing .the flange 11 of the roof panel to the flanges 21 and 28 of the roof rail is one which may be performed rapidly and eflloiently. These flanges extend outwardly and hence are readily accessible to a weldinggun, and the latter may be guided along the channel or gutter formed by the upper section of the roof and the roof panel.

While it would or cours'ebe possible to so form theouter flanges 2'! and 28 of the roof rail that they would present a satisfactory appearance and could themselves comprise the drip molding, the present invention contemplates the provision of a decorative trim molding 13 which is adapted to :snap over the vertical flanges 21 and 28 to conceal the latter and to present a styled appearance to the exterior of the vehicle. The trim molding t3 mayhave any desired exterior configuration and thus lends itself well to styling variations. In the present drawing it is shown as comprising an arcuate outer wall 3 an inturned lower rolled edge 32 and an upper return bend flange 33. The upper return bend flange 33 lies closely adjacent the outer wall 3! of the molding to rorm a double thickness section at the upper portion thereof, and then diverges from the-outer wall 3| to vform a retaining flange 34 extending downwardly from the return bend flange 33.

The trim molding I3 is assembled to the flanges 21 and 28 of the roof rail by first placing the trim molding I3 not only conceals the flanges 21 and 28 of the roof rail and the joint therebetween, but that the upper flange 33 of the molding extends sufliciently far inwardly to conceal from normal view the spot welds joining the flanges I1, 24 and 26 together. In addition, the flange 33 of 'the molding'cooperates with the root panel and upper section of the roof rail to form a gutter of such shape and size as to adequately carry on all water draining from the roof panel.

7 l 9 and 2-1 extending the entire length of the roof,

but if desired the roof rail may be divided into forward and rearward sections with the joint located at the junction between the front door H and the body panel [2 so that the joint may be concealed from view. I

It will be understood that the invention is'not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle roof construction, a longitudinally extending roof rail formed of two stampings secured together, saidv stampings having horizontal flanges extending outwardly therefrom in juxtaposition and secured to each other, a roof panel having a generally horizontal flange extending outwardly therefrom and joined to the aforesaid horizontal flange of the upper or said roof rail sections, and the flange of the upper section of said roof rail being bent upwardly adjacent its outer edge to form with said roof panel a channel shaped gutter.

2. In combination with a vehicle roof rail formed or two sections having outwardly extending horizontal flanges secured together with the outer edge of the upper flange bent upwardly to form a gutter and with the outer edge of the lower flange bent downwardly, a decorative molding strip mounted upon the upwardly and downwardly bent portions of the flanges of the upper and lower sections respectively of the roof rail, said molding strip having an outer wall concealing said flanges from normal view .andretaining flanges at the upper and lower edges of said molding strip adapted to snap over the upwardlyand downwardly extending portions of the flanges of molding over the upper vertical flange 21 so that the latter is positioned in the longitudinal groove formed between the outer wall 3! of the molding and the retaining flange 33. It is then only .necessary to exert an inward pressure upon the central portion or the outer wall 3'] of the molding to snap the lower rolled edge '32 of the molding over lihe downwardly depending vertical flange 28 hi the roof rail. In the assembled position the trim "molding TI! is under a slight stress so .as to resiliently hold the latter in {place upon the roof rail and prevent rattles and squeaks.

It will be a parent from the drawing that the said roof rail sections to hold the molding strip thereon.

JOHN OSWALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fll-e of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

